Hanger in strip form



l. B. WATTS HANGER IN STRIP FORM Filed Oct, 19, 1948 4 Sept. 23, 1952 INVENTOR. Y Ivar. il@

HTTOFNE Y Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED j ,STAT

' HANGER 1N STRIP FORM v Ivor B`.}Watts, Nque, N. J. Application October 19, 1948, Serial No.55,339

This invention relates to a support `for hanging articles and more particularly to a molded support in which hooks or other means of engaging articles may be adjustably spaced at regular intervals.

An object of this invention is to provide a rack of molded composition having suspending devices by which articles may besupported in desired arrangement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a molded rack in which the suspending devices are easily moved and supported by a ball and socket pivot providing them with a freedom of motion.

A still further object ofl this invention is to provide a molded rack whichis open on the upper side` for simple fabrication but has a rigid construction. Y

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description taken with the drawings in which Fig. 4l is a side elevation view of supporting members of this invention one of which is in section; f

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. l taken on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of supporting members of this invention from below and attached to a surface;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 taken on line IV-IV and showing the lug members in section;

Fig. 5 is a top view of a modification of the supporting' member of this invention showing the recess and ball sockets within the supporting member; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of Fig. 5 taken on line VI-VI In general the supporting means of this invention comprises an elongated molded article which is provided with a large recess in its upper surface and a relatively narrow slot opening extending from the larger recess through the lower surface of the article. In the bottom of the large recess are formed a series of small recesses or sockets at regular intervals. The upper end of ionen. (o1. 2111-113)v an opening I3 at the top and is closed at each end byvwalls I4. f The strip I0` is provided with a slot IB which is centrally located along the bottom of the central recess I2 and extends from the recess I2 throughthe strip I0v as shown in Fig. 4. The strip member I0 is fastened to the surfaceII by screws or vbolts 24 through lug members 21,0n each side of the strip. As shown in Fig. 3, these are positioned to provide structural strength to the strip member I0 in securing the sides of. the strip vfrom spreading and preventing theslot I6 fromwidening. The slot ,I6v runs longitudinally of the strip Illand hooks Il extending through the slot I6 from the central recess .are movable betweenjedges 22 of the slot I6 through the length of the strip I0. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the hooks I'I are introduced into the slot I6 and central recess I2 through a port I8 provided at one end of the slot I6. these hooks I1 being formed intoa hook portion 23 and a hemispherical ball end 2I having a ilat top surface 33. The hook portion 23 extends through the slot I6 to engage the suspended articles and the Semiball end 2| is retained in the recess I2 between the edges 22 of the slot I6.

Sockets I9 are molded at regular intervals in the inner surface of the recess I2 along the slot I6. These sockets are formed to receive the semiball ends 2I molded on the upper end of the hooks Il. The end 2I of a hook I1 is inserted into the central recess I2 through por-t I8 and is moved longitudinally into engagement with edges 22 of the slot I6 which is narrow enough to engage the ball end 2l while permitting the hook portion 23 to extend below the strip member I0. The sockets I9 molded in the strip I0 and the ball ends 2I molded on the hooks I1 are provided to engage in a pivoting ball and socket joint which retains the hook in its position in the slot I6 against longitudinal and lateral movement but permits rotation on its perpendicular axis and pivoting of the hook I1 in this xed position. At the same time the hooks I1 held in the ball and socket joints by the weight of the hooks or the articles hung thereon are readily disengaged vertically for longitudinal rearrangement.

The slotted strip I0 may be closed at both ends as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and fastened to the shelves I I by screws or bolts 24 through lug members 21 on each side. In the modification of the strip member I Il shown in Fig. 5 the strip Ill is molded with one end of the slot I6 closed by the wall I4 and the other end formed into an open end 29 for receiving the hooks I'I. To provide structural strength and rigidity to this modication of strip I a brace 26 is molded into the strip II) across the top of the recess I2 with flanges 31 extending into the strip I0 to join the sides together and prevent widening of the slot by spreading of the strip sides as shown in Fig. 6.

The recess I2 is provided with a pair of shoulders 28 on each of the edges 22 adjacent the port I6 in the embodiment of Figs. l and 2 or the open end of the slot 29 in the modification of Fig. 5. These shoulders28 are molded into the strip I8 to provide a passage 3| between upper surface 32 of the shoulders 28 and the surface II to which the strip member IIJ is attached. This passage 3l is designed to cooperate with the hemispherical shape of the ball end 2I so that the flat upper` surface 33 of the ball end 2I when passed horizontally along the surface I I permits the ball end 2| to pass over the shoulders 28 and into the recess I2. However, the clearance of passage -32 is formed to be suiiciently small to insure against the accidental .or Vunintentional removal of 4a hook from slot I6 by jamming Ythe ball end 2I -i the surface 33 is not held -horizontal to the-surface I I -as the hook I1 passes the shoulders 28.

.As shown in Figs.` 1 and 3 several of the strip members .I8 may be placed end to end providing a line of article-supporting members vin demountable sections.

The strip member I0 vof this invention may be readily formed from any moldable-composition and is advantageous in providinga shape which is readily molded. The large opening at the upper side of the recess I2 permits the strip member I0 vof this invention to be formed by a simple and inexpensive moldingoperation. Another advantage of this invention is that the sockets I8 are easily formed in the molding operation which makes the strip member.

AIt will be apparent to lthose skilled in the Vart that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of this invention as disclosed herein, and for that reason it is not intended that it should be limited other than by the scope of the appended'claim.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed as novel is:

In a device for supporting suspended articles. an elongated supporting strip of molded material having means for attaching it to the under side of a shelf and formed with a hollow recess open at the top and extending longitudinally of said strip and exposing the said underside of said shelf, a relatively narrow slot opening downward from said recess, suspending members having shank portions adapted to slide Vin said slot and `enlarged rounded end portions retained in said hollow recess by engagement with the Walls thereof adjacent said slot, a series of evenly spaced rounded sockets formed in the bottom of said recess to receive said enlarged ends of said suspending members, an opening in said strip between the ends thereof formed to permit insertion of said enlarged end portions of said suspending members intosaid hollow recess and removal of saidvenlarged end portions therefrom, and shoulder members on the wall positioned between said opening and said series of sockets formed to selectively Vpass said shaped enlarged ends.

IVOR B. WATTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le Aof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number -Name Date 289,299 Montgomery, Jr. Nov. 2'?, 1883 V699,956 Johnson May 13, 1902 699,971 Poschmann vMay 13, 1902 1,175,136 Dickey et al Mar.14, -1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,524 Great Britain 1903 .110,389 Great Britain Oct. 17, 1917 227,647 Great Britain Jan. v22, 1925 363,483 France Aug. 1, 1906 

